In 2012, the year in which the Folha University ranking was created, distance learning represented only 16% of higher education enrollments, approximately 1.1 million out of 7 million students.
Just over a decade later, the scenario has flipped, and the method of distance learning (distance learning) now focuses the majority of students enrolled in higher education.
In the results of the 2024 Higher Education Census, recently released by the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anício Teixeira, the country has 10.22 million students, of whom 5.18 million (50.7%) are enrolled in distance learning courses, a number that already exceeds the number of direct education students (5.03 million).
Progress in this method, mainly driven by the private sector, which represents more than 95% of enrollees, represents a growth of more than 370% compared to 2012. Despite this, official data still do not allow an in-depth analysis of what is happening in distance learning in Brazil.
Given the significant growth in distance learning courses, the Ministry of Education has established a new regulatory framework to contain the unregulated expansion in this sector.
This measure responds to a long-standing demand from various segments of society to ensure the quality of training and to define clear criteria for evaluating distance learning courses.
For several years, the RUF has been considering creating a specific classification for distance learning courses, introducing new indicators and further revision.
This ranking, which annually evaluates all Brazilian universities, both public and private, and more than 19 thousand face-to-face courses in the 40 highest-demand professions in the country, closely tracks the growth of distance learning and the demand for assessment tools that contribute to the quality of education.
Inep is updating the Higher Education Census questionnaires to adapt them to the expected changes in the new regulatory framework. According to the agency, the technical team has already completed the pre-testing phase, and the application of the new tools will be implemented in the next version of the statistical research.
On the other hand, in May, Abid (Brazilian Distance Education Association) launched the Quality Seal for higher education institutions and courses. The seal is awarded based on voluntary applications and therefore does not analyze or rank the overall range of distance learning courses offered in the country.
The move towards new classifications aimed at assessing distance learning is not limited to Brazil. At the end of 2024, the British THE (Times Higher Education) rankings launched a pilot initiative dedicated exclusively to this method.
The aim is to evaluate excellence in distance learning in higher education institutions globally.
Universities are classified into three categories: gold, silver and bronze. PUC Minas (Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais) was the only Brazilian to receive one of these privileges, taking silver.
The future RUF EAD programme, developed based on a specific methodology of this method, should become an important tool for measuring the quality of courses and institutions, as well as supporting the improvement of public higher education policies in the country.
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